Iran to respond next week to uranium deal

TEHRAN, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Iran said it will respond next week to a draft plan for it to ship its uranium abroad for processing, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday.

"Iran informed (IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei) today that it is considering the proposal in depth and in a favorable light, but it needs time until the middle of next week to provide a response," the U.N. nuclear watchdog, based in Vienna, said in a statement.

The United States, Russia and France each indicated Friday a "positive response" to ElBaradei's proposal on a draft agreement to supply Iran with nuclear fuel for its research reactor, the IAEA said.

"The director-general hopes that Iran's response will equally be positive, since approval of this agreement will signal a new era of cooperation," the statement said.

U.S. officials have voiced cautious optimism the deal could lead to a more permanent solution to reining in Iran's nuclear aspirations, which Tehran maintains are peaceful and some Western nations view as having military potential.